Daily Current Affairs MCQ- June 19, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

A recent study has found that the human brain's cerebellum is more vulnerable to Covid infections than other brain regions.

About Cerebellum:

• The cerebellum, which stands for “little brain”, is a structure of the central nervous system.
• Location: It is a part of your brain located at the back of your head, just above and behind, where your spinal cord connects to your brain itself.
• It only accounts for around 10% of total brain weight but contains as many as 80% of all neurons in the brain.
• Functions:
• Maintaining balance: The cerebellum has special sensors that detect shifts in balance and movement. It sends signals for the body to adjust and move.
• Coordinating movement: Most body movements require the coordination of multiple muscle groups. The cerebellum times muscle actions so that the body can move smoothly.
• Vision: The cerebellum coordinates eye movements.
• Motor learning: The cerebellum helps the body to learn movements that require practice and fine-tuning. For example, the cerebellum plays a role in learning to ride a bicycle or play a musical instrument.
• Other functions: Researchers believe the cerebellum has some role in thinking, including processing language and mood.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

MD of EXIM Bank of India recently said that India's future Lines of Credit (LoCs) to Africa could focus on defence exports to meet the requirements of the continent.

About Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank):

• It is the premier export finance institution of the country.
• It was established by the Government of India, under the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981
• EXIM Bank wholly owned by the Government of India.
• Services:
• EXIM Bank provides financial assistance to exporters and importers.
• It extends Lines of Credit (LOCs) to overseas financial institutions, regional development banks, sovereign governments and other entities overseas, to enable buyers in those countries to import developmental and infrastructure projects, equipment, goods and services from India, on deferred credit terms. 
• It functions as the principal financial institution for coordinating the work of institutions engaged in financing export and import of goods and services with a view to promoting the country's international trade.
• Structure:
• The operations of the Bank are governed by a Board of Directors. 
• The Board of Directors consists of a chairman, a managing director, two deputy managing directors; one director each nominated by the Reserve Bank of India; IDBI Bank Ltd. and ECGC Ltd.; and not more than 12 directors nominated by the Central Government.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said it would review all its membership conditions for India’s inclusion in the world’s premier energy monitoring organization.

• It is an autonomous inter-governmental organisation within the OECD framework.
• It works with governments and industry to shape a secure and sustainable energy future for all.
• It was founded in 1974 to ensure the security of oil supplies. 
• It was created in response to the 1973-1974 oil crisis when an oil embargo by major producers pushed prices to historic levels and exposed the vulnerability of industrialised countries to dependency on oil imports. 
• It consists of 31 member countries and eleven association countries.
• A candidate country to the IEA must be a member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
• India joined this organization in 2017 as an Associate member.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Government of India has launched a new fellowship programme to connect the Indian Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) diaspora with Indian academic and R&D institutions.

• The fellowship would be awarded to outstanding scientists/technologists of Indian origin (NRI/OCI/PIO) who are engaged in research activities in their respective countries.
• The VAIBHAV Fellow would identify an Indian Institution for collaboration and may spend up to two months in a year for a maximum of 3 years.
• Funding: The government offers the researchers an amount of INR 4,00,000 per month for the entire period.
• Aim: Improving the research ecosystem of India’s Higher Educational Institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian Institutions and the best institutions in the world.
• This is done through the mobility of faculty/researchers from overseas institutions to India.
• Eligibility: Researchers from institutions featuring in the top 500 QS World University Rankings will be eligible for the fellowship.
• The applicant must have obtained Ph.D/M.D/M.S degree from a recognized University.
• The 75 selected fellows would be invited to work in 18 identified knowledge verticals including quantum technology, health, pharma, electronics, agriculture, energy, computer sciences, and material sciences amongst others.
• It is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, NASA's Cassini spacecraft discovers ‘phosphorous on Saturn's moon Enceladus.

• The Enceladus is the second nearest of the major regular moons of Saturn and the brightest of all its moons.
• It was discovered in 1789 by the English astronomer William Herschel and named for one of the Giants (Gigantes) of Greek mythology.
• It is an active moon that hides a global ocean of liquid salty water beneath its crust.
• Its icy surface is remarkably smooth in some places, and bright white all over and it is the most reflective body in the solar system.
• The Cassini spacecraft mission was launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1997 and orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017, circling the planet 294 times.
• It measured the structure of Saturn’s atmosphere and rings, as well as how they interact with the planet’s moons.
• It also discovered six named moons and revealed Enceladus and Titan as promising locations to search for extraterrestrial life.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission has shed new light on the origin of the intense Geminid meteor shower.

• What it is? It peaks during mid-December each year and is considered to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers.
• Unlike most meteor showers that originate from comets, the Geminid stream appears to originate from an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon.
• New findings
• The new findings have perplexed scientists as asteroids are not typically influenced by the Sun's heat and should not leave behind a trail.
• Phaethon is an asteroid, but as it flies by the Sun, it seems to have some kind of temperature-driven activity.
• The Parker data indicates that a powerful event such as a high-speed collision or a gaseous explosion likely caused the creation of the Geminid stream.

Key facts about the 3200 Phaethon

• It is classified as an asteroid - the first to be discovered via satellite.
• It was discovered on Oct. 11, 1983, using the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, and named after the Greek myth of Phaethon, son of the sun god Helios, due to its close approach to Sun.
• It is blue in colour, which is rare for an asteroid.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Vice President of India will confer upon the fourth National Water Awards in New Delhi on 17th June 2023.

• The first edition of the National Water Awards was introduced by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in 2018.
• They have provided a good opportunity for start-ups as well as leading organizations to engage and deliberate with senior policymakers on how to adopt the best water resources management practices in India.
• These awards have been instituted to recognize and encourage exemplary work and efforts made by States, Districts, individuals, organizations, etc across the country in attaining the vision of a ‘Jal Samriddh Bharat’.
• It covers 11 categories Best State’, ‘Best District’, ‘Best Village Panchayat’, ‘Best Urban Local Body’ etc.
• The award winners in different categories will be given a citation, trophy and cash prize.
• The cash prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rank winners are Rs.2 lakhs, Rs.1.5 lakhs, and Rs.1 lakh, respectively.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, NITI Aayog and the United Nations in India signed the Government of India - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027.

• It represents the UN development system’s collective offer to the Government of India, in line with the national vision for development, for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting gender equality, youth empowerment and human rights. 
• It is built on four strategic pillars derived from the 2030 Agenda – People, Prosperity, Planet and Participation.
• The four interlinked pillars have six outcome areas focusing on Health and Well Being; Nutrition and Food Security; Quality Education; Economic Growth and Decent Work; Environment, Climate, WASH and Resilience; and Empowering People, Communities, and Institutions.
• It will have a specific focus on SDG localisation and South-South cooperation, in line with India’s leadership towards the implementation and acceleration of the SDGs; and India’s championing of South-South cooperation.
• The implementation and monitoring: It will be co-led by the Government of India and the United Nations, India through a Joint Steering Committee.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) has raised ₹10,000 crores via the maiden issuance of listed bonds.

• It was set up in 2021, by an Act of the Parliament (The National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Act, 2021).
• It is a specialized Development Finance Institution in India.
• Objectives: Addressing the gaps in long-term non-recourse finance for infrastructure development, strengthening the development of bonds and derivatives markets in India, and sustainably boosting the country’s economy.
• It shall be regulated and supervised by RBI as an All India Financial Institution (AIFI) 

What is a Development Finance Institution (DFI)?

• These are organizations owned by the government or public institutions to provide funds for infrastructure and large-scale projects, where it often becomes unviable for large banks to lend.
• They provide two types of funds- Medium (1-5 years) and Large (< 5 years).

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), a unique space telescope developed by Pune’s Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) has been delivered to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• The telescope is one of the seven payloads on the Aditya-L1 mission.
• Features
• It is unique because it will provide full disk images of the sun in 2000 to 4000 A wavelength range which has never been obtained.
• It will allow us to record images in this wavelength crucial for maintaining the Ozone and Oxygen content in the atmosphere of the Earth.
• It will also measure the UV radiation hazardous for skin cancer.
• It will address fundamental questions such as the existence of a higher-temperature atmosphere above the cooler surface of the Sun and the origin and variation of near-ultraviolet radiation and high-energy solar flares.
• It will help in the measurement of solar radiation from Hard X-ray to Infrared, as well as in-situ measurements of particles in the solar wind, including the Sun’s magnetic field at the L1 point.
• It is expected to last five years.
• Funding: ISRO funded the initial Rs 25 crore required for the hardware, a small portion of the overall project.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.